Pécsi Mecsek Football Club, commonly referred to as Pécsi MFC or simply PMFC, is a professional Hungarian football club based in Pécs, Baranya, that currently competes in the Hungarian third division. The club was established on 16 February 1973 by the merger of five other clubs of the city, Pécsi Dózsa, Pécsi Ércbányász SC, Pécsi Helyiipari SK, Pécsi Bányász and Pécsi Építők. Pécsi MFC's home ground is the Stadium of PMFC, also known as Stadium of Újmecsekalja, a football stadium in Uránváros. The stadium's current capacity is 7,000, it was opened in 1955. Pécsi MFC holds long-standing rivalries with other football clubs, most notably Komlói Bányász SK, a club based in Komló, a city near Pécs, and Kaposvári Rákóczi FC from Kaposvár. Since its foundation in 1973, the club played most of their seasons in the first division, with twelve seasons spent in the second division. After finishing on the first place of the Western Group of the second division in 2011, the club was promoted to the highest level of professional league. Despite finishing 11th in the 2014–15 season, the club lost its professional licence due to financial difficulties and gained admittance to the fourth tier of the Hungarian league system in time for the start of the following season. The relegation saw owner Dezső Matyi leaving the club after 8 years, when he sold his share to the city of Pécs. Pécsi are best known for becoming the first European opponents of Universitatea Craiova when they played against the White-Blues in the 1970–71 Fairs Cup.
History
Early years (1950–1972)
Although association football had been present in Pécs since the early 20th century, the predecessor of Pécsi MFC was founded later, in 1950 with the name Pécsi Dózsa. The new club started to compete in the third division and eventually won promotion to the second division in 1953. After spending only two years in the NB II with moderate success, Pécsi Dózsa started the 1950 season in the top flight of the Hungarian football pyramid, after a fusion with Budapest-based club Kőbányai Dózsa. Pécsi Dózsa made its debut in the first division on 27 February 1955, with a 3–0 win against Szombathely. With only one year of hiatus, Pécsi Dózsa was the member of the NB I until 1972, when the club undergone another, more complex fusion with four other local clubs.
From Pécsi Dózsa to Pécsi MSC
Pécs played in second division in the season of 1975–76. Pécs finished as champions of the second division in the season of 1976–77. PMSC has been playing in the first division for 20 years between 1977 and 1997. They won the Hungarian Cup in 1990. In the then European Cup Winners Cup they were drawn against Manchester United, and became the first team to play against English opposition in Europe since English teams were banned five years previously. They lost the game 3–0 on aggregate, and Manchester United went on to win the competition, beating Barcelona in the final. In 2003 Pécs rejoined the first division after two years of exile. Pécs drew with Szombathelyi Haladás and finished first eleven points clear. Tamás Nagy's team lost only three times in 34 matches. The club won the 2019-20 Nemzeti Bajnokság III season which was interrupted and finally terminated in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pécs was eligible to play in the 2020-21 Nemzeti Bajnokság II.
Stadium
is a UEFA Category 1 football stadium in Pécs, Hungary. It is currently used for football matches and is the home stadium of Pécsi MFC. The stadium is able to hold 7,000 people and was opened in 1955. The stadium used to be referred to as "PMSC stadion" due to the old name of the local team, and sometimes referred to as "Újmecsekaljai stadion", which is derived from the name of the district, where the stadium is located.
Name changes
190?: Pécs
1950: Pécs
1956: Pécs
1957: Pécs
1973: Pécs amalgamation with Pécsi Bányász SC, Pécsi Ércbányász SC, Pécsi Helyiipar SK and Pécsi Építők --> PMSC
